Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 18 September 2023)

REGIONAL: MIGRATION

KEY FIGURES
1.4K MIGRANT DEATHS AND DISAPPEARANCES IN THE AMERICAS IN 2022

UNICEF and IOM are raising concerns for migrant deaths and child migrant trends in 2023. According to IOM, the Americas saw its deadliest year for migrants in 2022, with 1,457 deaths and disappearances, with UNICEF noting that this includes 92 migrant children. The US-Mexico border stands as the world’s most lethal land route, accounting for 686 of these incidents. Nearly 50 per cent of these border deaths occurred while crossing the perilous Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. Moreover, deaths rose by more than 42 per cent on Caribbean migration routes in 2022. The treacherous Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia also saw 141 migrant deaths, with 1 in 25 migrants on this route reporting a companion's disappearance. UNICEF notes that approximately a quarter of migrants in the region are children - nearly double the global average of 13 per cent. The Darien route alone has seen more than 60,000 child migrants in the initial eight months of 2023, half of whom are under five years of age, marking a record annual high. Similarly, US southern border officials documented over 83,000 child entries in the first seven months of the 2023 fiscal year. IOM is stressing the importance of improved data collection, as the numbers presented are conservative estimates.

ECUADOR: VIOLENCE & MIGRATION

KEY FIGURES
4.2K VIOLENT DEATHS RECORDED SO FAR THIS YEAR IN ECUADOR

Violence continues to rise in Ecuador, driving irregular migration. Between January and mid-August, Ecuador reported 4,200 violent deaths, approaching a potential year-end homicide rate of 40 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, well over the 26 per 100,000 inhabitants recorded in 2022 and placing it among the world's most violent countries. By July 2023, almost 35,000 Ecuadorians had crossed the dangerous Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia (20 per cent more than in all of 2022), trailing only Venezuela’s 138,500 in terms of nationalities. Similarly, Honduras recorded 30,600 Ecuadorians crossing its borders from January to September 2023 (24 per cent more than in all of 2022), again trailing only Venezuela’s 111,548. Following a two-week visit to Ecuador, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Olivier de Schutter is emphasizing the need to address poverty, a primary driver for increasing violence, as well as the need for higher investment in education, healthcare, and social protection.

CARIBBEAN: HEAT WAVES

El Niño-induced Pacific Ocean temperatures and above average Atlantic Ocean temperatures have amplified heat stress across the Caribbean, with increasing temperatures, humidity and heatwaves that rival some of the warmest seasons on record. Although regional interests are hoping for temperatures to begin dropping, the Barbados Meteorological Service (BMS) predicts abovenormal temperatures until early 2024, with peak temperatures expected between 27 to 30° C through November and December. According to the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), soaring temperatures pose a significant threat to Barbados’s local agricultural production and prices. The group highlights the livestock farming sector as being at risk, with potentially lower poultry and dairy production yields, while also emphasizing that this issue is not limited to Barbados. As of late August, short-term drought has developed in parts of Belize, Cuba, Haiti and Guyana, while long-term drought has developed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology have also raised concerns for the development of long-term drought across St. Barthelemy and Sint Maarten/St. Martin by the end of November. Authorities in Barbados are urging farmers to take precautions with livestock, as higher temperatures can affect growth rates and productivity. Farmers are also being warned that increased consumption of water and other supplies due to elevated temperatures could raise production costs, potentially affecting consumer prices.